


stronger together (we own the night)

by absolutelyamethyst



Series: Eclipse [3]
Category: Z-O-M-B-I-E-S (Disney Movies)
Genre: 6.4k words of chaos children being chaotic, F/M, Great Alpha AU, Soulbonds, Soulmarks, Soulmates AU, Werewolf Addison, addison wells is a good cookie, discussing the realities of being soulmates, sort of a more platonic look at soulmates, wyatt lykensen is a distraught little wolf
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-04
Updated: 2020-05-04
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:33:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23999041
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/absolutelyamethyst/pseuds/absolutelyamethyst
Summary: Wyatt's known that the Great Alpha was out there somewhere his entire life. Addison's whole world changed in the blink of an eye. Sometimes...all you need is a little time to sort things out- sometimes, that time is hard to find.Alternatively-A Zombies 2 AU where Addison is a werewolf, she and Wyatt are soulmates, and neither one is prepared for what Addison's arrival in the pack actually means.
Relationships: Wyatt Lykensen/Addison Wells
Series: Eclipse [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1739968
Comments: 26
Kudos: 84





	stronger together (we own the night)

**Author's Note:**

> Omg hello! 
> 
> Not gonna lie, I was NOT expecting to jump into the fandom the way that I did. I've been working on a Descendants fic but you can only watch the movies so many times (read: 5 times each in a week?) before your brain starts to go insane. Thus: this monster of a oneshot- 6.4k, 13 pages, each and every word full of a poor, insane child (me) trying to keep characters in-character for a movie she's seen TWICE. 
> 
> Enjoy.

The moment Addison stops walking, everyone else stops with her, and Wyatt takes a moment to  _ laugh  _ at the sheer  _ craziness  _ of it all. 

Because it’s all insane. The fact that he’s standing here after waiting for so long, standing here behind Addison, his  _ mate,  _ behind the Great Alpha and beside Willa, the current alpha. At the end of the road they’ve been on, at the end of the pain. Addison isn’t just the solution, she’s the cure--his cure, everything he’s ever needed. 

And everyone follows her. That’s the thing about Addison, he’s learning- she’s a good leader, but he’s certain she doesn’t realize it. She gets people to follow her without pushing them around. She’s quiet, but there’s a strength in her gaze that gives people comfort. 

She was born to be an alpha, born to be a werewolf. He’s positive,  _ he’s never been surer of anything in his whole entire life,  _ but theirs is a difficult life and he wouldn’t force it on anyone, no matter how much they need her--no matter how much  _ he  _ needs her. 

As if sensing his unease, Addison stands still for a second, her back facing the rest of them, and he wishes with his whole being that he could see inside her head and take away the pain she must be feeling. The necklace dangles between her fingers, dances at the tips, and just when he thinks that she might never put it on she lifts her arms over her shoulders and fastens the clasp around her neck. 

His whole world tilts, then goes still. 

Nothing happens for a moment. 

But then he feels it. There’s a spark burning in his chest, right where his necklace is, a fire building its way through his collarbone and up into his arm, where it worms its way around his neck and down his spine. The heat fills him, a gentle warmth that he’s used to by now, but in Addison it turns into pure panic, and he’d do anything to step forward and put his arms around her but now’s not the time, now Zed is standing beside her and  _ now’s not the time Wyatt, calm down- _

Addison stiffens. Wyatt watches, a gasp in his throat, as she doubles in on herself. He feels what she suppresses--the cry that threatens to escape her chest, the pain that flares in her head and shoulders, the pure  _ energy  _ that sings through it all--and he watches as she straightens, as she combs shaking fingers through her wiry white hair, revealing the pointed tips of her ears. 

He hears the growl that rumbles through her chest, feels his side of their soulbond crying out in welcome as she turns around, her gaze flickering over him as she takes it all in. 

When she turns to Bree, her eyes are a brilliant gold. Her hands fly up and as her lips tug back in the tiniest of wry smirks, a play-growl leaving her mouth as she poses, looking all for the world like a playful puppy taunting one of its siblings. 

Bree, however, actually steps back. None of them miss the fearful gasp that leaves her mouth, Addison least of all. The sheer ferocity in Addison’s glimmering eyes is intense, powerful. But not scary, at least not to  _ him. _

There’s a quiet moment where he can hear Addison’s heartbeat, a wild, wild thing that races as her shining eyes flicker around their group. 

Addison swallows, a loud gulp. Her eyes are still on Bree. “Do I...look okay?” she asks, and Wyatt manages to not laugh even though he wants to, because of course that’s what she’s worried about, of course. 

Addison is wise enough not to question if the necklace worked, because she can feel it. She’s wise enough not to ask if the changes are noticeable, because she knows they are. She’s wise, and yet she’s worried about her appearance, worried that maybe if she looks too monstrous- 

Wyatt stops. He’s inside her head. 

He realizes he’s been staring this whole time, that the crowds’ parted and even Willa is somewhere behind him now, leaving him alone with Addison’s eyes locked on him. 

He swallows. 

He’s been imagining this moment for a long, long time. 

_ The soulbond works like this: no wolf is ever meant to be alone, so whatever spirits are behind their magic and behind their powers work together to give them a companion, a mate. But this mate shares the soul of the one they’re mated to, and with that bond comes the ability to see into the other persons’ soul, see their thoughts and their feelings and the things they hide from everyone else.  _

_ Every alpha has a soulmate that’s chosen from birth--it’s the first mark the mate bears, a set of two interconnected lines that cross at the middle, curve around each other like--well, like mates. It was the only mark he bore for a long time, and it’s the only one he can truly hide, just at the top of his chest beside his left shoulder. He’s always been grateful the marks’ easy to hide because his has always been different, colored differently, white where the others’ are charcoal gray. He’s always known the truth, that he was to be the mate of the Great Alpha, but Willa--and everyone else--have always refused to believe him.  _

_ He gets it, he does. The Great Alpha is one of the oldest stories they have, the greatest of their legends, but it’s just a story to everyone else, to Willa. And Willa, really, is another story--his sister is a lot of things, and while she’s loyal and protective and strong and all the things a good alpha should be, she’s also far too clingy over her title, in Wyatt’s opinion. Someone like the Great Alpha is worth waiting for.  _

_ He hasn’t been able to get anyone else to believe in the stories before now. But then Addison and her bus full of crazy humans and zombies come crashing through their forest and everything changes--changed more when he actually met Addison, but- _

“Wyatt?”

Right, still staring. 

“Uh, yeah,” he says, the words falling clumsily out of his mouth as he starts forward, his feet carrying him in Addison’s direction before he realizes what’s happening. “Hi.” 

She giggles. It’s a precious sound. “Hi.” 

Addison is, well,  _ beautiful,  _ in a light sort of way. Her eyes are still golden as she stares at him, and her entire body vibrates with energy, the blue light of the moonstone wrapping its way up her head to form a halo around her white hair. 

She’s trembling. He hates himself the moment he realizes it because he’s been standing here  _ daydreaming,  _ and meanwhile his mate is scared out of her wits, shaking as she struggles to comprehend what’s going on and he’s just-

But right as Wyatt moves to draw closer to Addison, to comfort her, she pulls away and turns around. Her entire demeanor shifts, her shoulders pulling back in a way that screams  _ “I’m the alpha, I’m in control”  _ and he knows enough from hanging around Willa to know not to question her. If she’s smart--and he knows she is--she’ll file her questions away for later. 

“This way,” she says, her voice caught between a whisper and a growl, “the moonstone is this way.” 

He freezes, her words falling on his startled ears. 

_ The moonstone. She can really sense- then that means...this whole time…  _

He’s been right this whole time. She really is the Great Alpha, she really is their rightful leader, she’s the girl in all the stories, the one to guide them all and best of all she’s  _ his-- _

But there’ll be time to think about that later. He picks up the pace, fights his way to the front through their gang of humans and zombies and what remains of the pack. Willa’s taken her place to Addison’s right, and even though there’s fearful thoughts-- _ that’s his spot, where does he belong if Willa takes her place everywhere he tries to hide?-- _ looming in the back of his mind, he follows them through the remains of the energy plant and outside. 

The buildings part. Above them is a huge overhang that reeks of copper and rust. Before them is a gaping maw of a doorway, steel and wires pulled apart to form claw-like snares with gaps where the shadows hide and bits of light from crackling fluorescents gleam. 

Wyatt takes a step forward, his breath catching as he moves behind Willa and Addison. Suddenly, he can sense it too- the great light that is the moonstone, summoning him forward with all the strength of the legendary beacon it is in the stories. The craggy, crumbling remains of the power plant fade away. He surges forward, along with Willa and Addison and Wynter, and ducks underneath overhanging beams and swaying wires in an attempt to plow forward. He realizes their mistake too late- they’re walking on a sea of eggshells, and this building is suffering for it. 

In seconds, just as their group parts and the humans and zombies fall back, everything collapses around them.

Addison  _ screams.  _ It’s a fiercely powerful sound. It does something to him- rips at his insides and sends him clawing at the biggest chunk of debris that’s blocking their path. He tears his nails, however sharp, to blunt, bloody edges, slides his palm down the cool concrete. Addison’s beside him, tears falling down her face, and he knows just by looking at her--soulbond or not--that they’re tears of anger, not of despair. 

His mate is upset. Somehow he has to find a way to fix that too. 

He grabs Addison’s hand. She looks at him and the soulbond sings between them, but just when Wyatt is about to assure her that everything is going to be fine, that their pack didn’t come this far just to be stopped by some stupid stone, Zed intervenes. 

Simultaneously, Wyatt and Addison hear the click of his Z-Band going offline, hear the metallic  _ clink  _ as it hits the ground. They back up. They yell at everyone else to do the same. 

The stone comes down. 

Wyatt realizes for the first time that the soulbond isn’t the only thing singing in his ears--they’re in the same room as the moonstone, and its power absolutely overwhelms him. 

Addison’s new to all of this, but she approaches the moonstone with the same reverence as Willa and Wynter and the rest of their pack. They draw closer to it slowly, with their moonstones off their necks and fixed firmly in their hands, all of them trembling as they reach out to touch their necklaces to the massive stone. 

Wyatt’s world  _ ignites.  _

The moonstone is fire and ice all at once, an icy heat that spreads up his body and down into his feet. He swears he can feel it in the air, feel its energy rumbling beneath him and all around him and everywhere at once. The stone is a miracle, massive in size and immense in power. It fills him with a life he didn’t know he was missing, fills a void that’s slowly been growing bigger and bigger as the days without it passed and hope drew further and further away. 

He looks into Addison’s eyes and sees that same hope reflected in it. He takes a deep breath. He grabs her hand. 

And  _ gasps,  _ because the moment their hands touch he feels what she’s been feeling this whole time- the deep-rooted stress that’s sitting in her bones in knotting itself into thick tangles in her gut, the anxiety that’s roiling like an angry ocean in the back of her mind, the  _ burden  _ of being a prophesied alpha, the burden of being a werewolf after spending so long as a human, the fear of not being  _ enough.  _

_ I love you,  _ he thinks, knowing full well that she won’t be able to hear it but feel it instead, knowing full well that love is a grounding thing with many uses, freedom its fiercest strength. 

“Together,” he murmurs to Addison, turning back toward the stone, his necklace back around his neck, his hands free and sifting through his sweat-matted hair. 

“Together,” she nods, a happy gleam in her eyes.    
They grab at the metal fastening around the stone and pull, together, as a pack--as a family. 

_ “Don’t you think it’s kind of weird?” Wynter’s eyebrows knit together as she looks at him. “Loving someone you’ve never met.” _

_ Wyatt resists the urge to snap back. Wynter doesn’t understand--though, if he’s honest, sometimes he doesn’t either. She’s never been afraid to ask questions, though, and he’s never been afraid to admit what he doesn’t know.  _

_ He shrugs. “Just because I’ve never seen her doesn’t mean I don’t know her,” he argues, “I have, like, a sense of her, I think- I get feelings sometimes that I know aren’t mine. We’re connected, I already sort of know her, she just…”  _

_ “Doesn’t know you exist.” _

_ “Yeah.”  _

In the end, it’s Zed who saved the day, really. Werewolves are strong, but something about the wild, untamed strength of a ZBand-less zombie flawlessly outmatches that of a wild half-beast. Everyone treats Zed like some sort of hero when it’s all over, but that’s fine. Wyatt is content to sit back and let the zombie have the limelight, so long as he gets a little time with Addison, that is. 

That...proves to be harder than he anticipated. 

Soulbonds are magic-made. They’re genuine, Wyatt’s seen them be, but something about the bond between Zed and Addison is unique- formed out of their differences, out of their desire for change and their desire to belong. Wyatt’s never questioned his bond to his soulmate before, but Zed makes him second guess whether the bond is...a good idea at all. 

Zed...Zed makes Addison genuinely happy. 

He backs off. He has to- otherwise he might start hating Zed for taking away his mate, but he knows that would hurt Addison, and that’s not his intention at all. 

Going back to the forest is hard. But he’s done harder things, and he knows he has to do this-- Addison has stuff to work through now, and even though he  _ also  _ knows she’ll need the pack for some of it...he knows she’ll come to him in time. 

So he steps back. He’ll wait for her, but he knows there are other people she needs right now-- her parents, for one, and Zed, and Bree. He’ll have all the time in the world with her when she’s ready, but right now…

“You did the right thing, letting her go.” Willa tells him. “But right now, I need my beta--I need my brother.” 

He presses his lips together, nods and faces the opening of their den. “I’m here.” 

She smiles at him. It’s a small smile, visibly forced, but it’s real and he’ll take it. “Great,” she says, “‘cause we have work to do.”

He knows. He knows he knows he knows, but Addison-

Willa tugs his arm and leads him into the den. He’s lost, then, lost in the familiar scents and sounds as were-pups and elders alike swarm around him, now bouncing with the energy from their recharged moonstones. 

He’s bonded, but he’s a beta. Addison’s an alpha, but she’s tying up loose ends. 

Their destinies will call in time. 

~

~

It takes Addison one week to fix everything. 

Well, “fix” might be too strong of a word- even after the week is over, she still feels raw inside, still feels a little wild at the thought of leaving her whole world behind in exchange for learning her new powers, her new abilities, her new pack. 

Her pack- somewhere in the forest, they’re waiting for her, waiting for their Great Alpha, and yet she’s sitting here, still stuck in her house after a whole entire week, unable to escape because her parents won’t let her out. She’s fought their antics before, but this is ridiculous. They can’t keep her inside, she’s not some sort of pet- she’s not the tame, obedient daughter she once was. 

The idea of sneaking out has never appealed to her more. 

_ “A werewolf? Addison, do you have any idea how absurd this all sounds? You’re our daughter, you’re human-” _

_ But she stops her mother mid-sentence, turns around and lurches forward with eyes that gleam gold in the window behind her and fangs as sharp as the knife sitting by her hand. The growl that leaves her lips is like something out of a nightmare, but it’s low and rumbling and full of warning, not true menace-- not that her mother knows that.  _

She snorts, the thought sending a wave of adrenaline through her. She’s already changing- she’d never have even  _ considered  _ sneaking out a few months ago, but here she is, one hand around her curtains, the other flat against her wall, her eyes on the horizon and the sun slipping behind it.    
The forest is calling. The longer she sits here, the stronger the pull gets, and she realizes she has to go. 

She toes the edge of the window sill, prepares to jump, and freezes. The wind blows, and a flash of green hair and the accompanying smell of zombie, sickly sweet, are the only things that stop her from jumping. 

Zed. 

It’s too late to pull back- he’s already around the corner, already looking up at her window. They lock eyes, and a heated flush creeps across Addison’s cheeks as she flops down so that her rear is snug against the window sill, her legs dangling over the side. 

“Hey Zed,” she says with a pep she doesn’t feel. “How’s it goin?” 

“It’s goin.” He stares at her. “‘s there something you’re not telling me?” 

“N...o,” she says slowly, then bites her lip. “Well, maybe.” 

She jumps down, reveling in the way the wind rushes through her hair as she falls, grins as the ground meets her bare feet with nothing more than a solid  _ thump _ . 

Zed, to his credit, looks absolutely terrified, and Addison watches as the emotions play out on his face- the fear when he sees her falling, the unease when he realizes that his girlfriend is a werewolf now and well, falling won’t kill her. 

“I’m fine,” she tells him, making a grab for his hand. “Can we walk?” 

His eyes flicker toward her window. “Sure your parents won’t mine?” 

Her eyes narrow, and she resists the urge to growl. “I don’t care if they do.”

Zed hums, sounding strangely like he doesn’t believe her, and Addison catches herself wondering again how someone she’s known for less than a year can see inside her soul so  _ well.  _ He walks anyway though, takes her hand and swings it as they duck away from Addison’s house and down the road. 

Addison’s mind swirls with thoughts, all the things she needs to say. The words don’t come. They walk in companionable silence. 

“So I’ve been thinking,” Zed says finally, “about what happened. About you...being a werewolf.” 

“Yeah?” Her stomach twists. She’s really not sure where he’s going with this--she’s more concerned that she wasn’t the one that brought it up first--but she’s not going to interrupt him now. 

“You’ve been a werewolf for a week now, Addison, and I gotta know- are you leaving?” His lips twist into a sad sort of frown, an uneasy pull to his normally happy grin. “If you are, just tell me.” He squares his shoulders. “You’re not gonna hurt my feelings.”

Addison stops walking. Her hand falls from Zed’s grasp as she reaches up to curl a hand around the braid closest to her ear. Her breath stutters in her chest. She’s imagined this moment every day for the past week, but not like this. Not this way. 

It’s the only way she has. 

“I am leaving, Zed,” she says, breathless, wistful. “I don’t think I really have a choice. I think I have to.”

Zed’s eyebrows come together in a thin green line. “You always have a choice, Addie.” 

“Not with this.” Addison tugs her moonstone necklace out from under her shirt and brings it into the light, curls her thumb around the surface of it. “It’s calling me.”

Zed stares at her. 

“The pack,” Addison tries to elaborate with a wince, “the forest.” 

“The  _ forbidden  _ forest,” Zed begins, but Addison silences him with a glare. 

“It was only forbidden because no one understood what the werewolves really were,” she snaps at him, anger a silent snarl in her chest. “And I’m a werewolf now. I have to go.” 

Her gaze drifts away from Zed, toward the ground, the sand and pebbles mixed with concrete at their feet, the grass and the single ladybug making a slow journey up to the hedges above it. 

In the single moment her gaze is away from Zed’s face, he gasps. When she looks up at him again, he’s scowling. “Zed?” 

“I know you have to go,” he whispers, voice straining. “That’s why I don’t think we should see each other for a while.” 

Everything Addison was about to say--anything she’s imagined she’d say in this moment--dies in her chest. “ _ What _ ?” 

He stares at her, his dark expression morphing into one of casual incredulity. “Addison-”

“Zed, how could you? I finally figure out who I am and instead of being here with me you’re walking away?” 

“I’m doing this for you!” He snaps back, his eyes flashing, his gaze dancing away from her, bouncing three different places at once before locking onto her again. His fists clench at his sides. “I’m not- I don’t want to be a distraction for you, Addison.” He says. “You have this whole big destiny, and I’m just one zombie. I’d just get in the way.” 

“No,” she gasps out, her chest aching as the loneliness sets in, quick and deadly sharp. “No, you wouldn’t.”

But he’s staring at her, that disbelieving smile still on his face. “You’re the Great Alpha, Addie,” he tells her, “you don’t need me around to figure out what that means.” 

His gaze flickers past her again, and his whole body tenses like he’s trying to decide what to do before he bolts past her, his sprint a steady gait that winds down and past her house and out of sight. 

She could catch up with him if she wanted to, but her whole body stiffens as she turns to run after him. Her senses dart outward in an attempt to catch the sound of his footsteps, but when she hears him, she swears she can hear the sound of crying. 

_ “I’m doing this for you!”  _

Her heart hurts. 

She takes one more look at her house.

She looks in the direction Zed left. 

She looks in the direction of the forest. 

“Thank you, Zed,” she whispers to the empty air, then turns toward the forest and the fence and the open trees, a howl tearing from her mouth before she knows what’s happening. 

Leaving one home to go to another. She promises herself it won’t be forever. She’ll come back, and when she does she’ll know more about herself and her powers. 

She’ll come back for her parents.

She’ll come back for Zed. 

She’ll come back for herself. 

~

~

_ Addison’s coming.  _

Everything disappears. 

One moment, he’s helping Willa hang up the spare moonstone necklaces--they actually have spares now, and they’re still grieving but lifted up at the prospect of new wolves being born, being out in the human world somewhere, awakening slowly just like Addison had--but the next the wind shifts and Addison’s scent is carried with it. 

Wyatt straightens. Beside him, Willa looks up. He watches her scowl out of the corner of her eye. 

“Go,” she sighs, blowing out an irritated breath before she turns to work at fastening the necklace in her hand up with the others. 

“I’ll be back later,” Wyatt tries, a peace offering. 

But Willa glares at him in response. “No you won’t.”

He grins at her, then bounds off into the trees before she’s mad enough to call him back.

Nothing, nothing but black and brown trees, then  _ there-  _ a flash of bright white. 

A yelp. 

And Addison, with all the strength of a new wolf, tackles him. They slam into the nearest tree, both of them gasping in pain for a moment before breaking. Wyatt doubles over laughing. He stands, but Addison’s worried expression makes him laugh even harder. 

“I’m sorry…” she says with a pained grimace, “are you okay?”

“Of course.” he smirks at her. “You know I’m tougher than a tree.” 

She shrugs, but she doesn’t say anything for a second. She looks around them instead, sort of breathless, and when her eyes settle back on Wyatt, he can’t read her expression. 

“Sorry,” she says, their bond prickling in discomfort. “I just...I left Zed behind…” 

Wyatt’s heart skips a beat. “And?”

“He...said he wouldn’t come with me because he didn’t want to be a distraction.” 

_ That  _ isn’t what he was expecting her to say. “He broke up with you?”

“What?” Addison’s eyes flash. “No, he just…” she takes a deep breath. “Oh… I guess he sort of did.”

The pain that lashes through her permeate their bond so powerfully that Wyatt growls. 

“Something’s different,” Addison whispers, her eyes widening as they search Wyatt’s face. “I can feel...you. In my head.” 

Wyatt swallows. She’s smart. Somehow, knowing that doesn’t make what has to come next any easier. “Yeah...we should probably talk about that.” 

“Talk about what?” 

“Talk about the fact that I could sense you coming here from miles out, or that I can feel what you’re feeling sometimes, or-” he scans her upper body--she’s wearing a sleeveless shirt that exposes her arms from the shoulders down, and there, just above the crook of her left arm, is a white mark, twin lines curving around each other and intersecting at the middle. “Or the mark on your arm,” he says, wondering if she’s even noticed it. By the shock that flickers across her face at the mention of it, she hasn’t. 

“What is it?” 

“It’s a soulmark,” he whispers, straightening his arm to expose the matching mark. He exhales. “It means...we’re bonded. We’re mates.”

She stares at him, an eyebrow raised. “We’re  _ what?” _

“Soulmates,” Wyatt says, “chosen by, uh, fate? We’re...meant for each other…” his entire face goes hot under the weight of Addison’s stare. “Look, I’m not...the best at explaining these things. And they sound weird under even the best explanation...so, let's settle it at ‘we’re connected’, okay?”

She doesn’t look convinced,  _ at all,  _ but when Wyatt turns and starts moving in the direction of the den she follows, even runs ahead of him as Willa’s summoning howl sounds and spurs them forward. 

_ Stars,  _ once Willa catches wind of his muddled explanation, she won’t stop teasing him for  _ weeks.  _

How does one explain a soulbond without sounding like a stalker anyway? Is it even possible?

Addison is trusting. And he has no intentions of doing anything to her-- _ being  _ anything to her without her consent. But this thing that they have is strange in a way that’s only getting stranger as time passes and their bond involuntarily gets stronger. It’s all...very overwhelming.

He takes a deep breath, holds the cold, woodsy air in his chest, and lets it out as he follows Addison into the den. 

~

~

“Being an alpha is about more than just leadership,” Willa says as they cut a path through the swarm of werewolves gathering in the main hall. “It’s about taking care of others- that’s something anyone can do, Addison.”

“I know,” Addison’s gaze swivels past Willa and the surrounding wolves and onto all the empty places in the den--empty places where Wyatt should be, but isn’t. 

Willa sighs. “Addison, I know this whole alpha-training is a bit weird, but if you really want to take over for me one day-” 

“I do!” Addison squeaks, even though the whole prospect sounds a little scary. “Sorry, I’m just-”

“Looking for Wyatt?”

Addison grimaces. “How’d you know?”

“I’ve seen how soulmates react when their other isn’t around,” Willa huffs. “Trust me, you’re one of the better cases.”

_ That  _ is an entirely too vague answer for Addison’s tastes, but it’s a question for another time. “What are soulmates?” She asks, “Wyatt didn’t tell me much.”

Willa guffaws. “He didn’t, huh? Wynter owes me her berry rations.”

Berry rations- not currency, exactly, but sweeter foods like berries were rare enough that they might as well be actual money. Addison snorts. 

“Soulmates are part of a legend as old as the Great Alpha prophecy,” Willa amends, “‘cept with soulmates, we had actual proof to believe in them.” 

“I still don’t understand,” Addison says, hating herself for not getting what seems to be so obvious to everyone else. 

Willa grabs her arm and leads her out of the den. Outside, she slumps against the cave wall, her gaze fixed on the starry sky. 

“The way it works,” she begins, “is it’s alpha-centric. True alphas-the ones born for the role, the ones born stronger than everyone else--are born with their marks. Some of the alphas that take their position--win it through fighting--they get their marks later.”

“Do you have one?” Addison asks. 

Willa’s entire face puckers like she’s just eaten something sour. “Nope.”

“...why?” Addison presses, knowing in the back of her mind that it’s a dumb question, that if Willa doesn’t want to answer it she won’t and Addison will get the heat for it. 

But Willa doesn’t snap at her. She only sighs. 

“I was never meant to be alpha,” she says, “I only got it when I did because everyone else was dead, sick, or too weak.” the words are blunt, stiff from her lips. “I had to fight Wyatt for it.” 

Addison’s stomach twists. “And...he lost.”

“Yep.” She pops the ‘p’. “Do you know why I chose Wyatt to be my beta, Addison?” 

Addison shakes her head. 

“It’s because he’s much different from me. He’s...not easy to rile up. He’s calm. He doesn’t like fighting.” Willa snorts. “I’m the opposite in almost every way. We balance each other out- without him, the pack might not be as strong as we are now. Without me, nothing would get done.” Her lips tug upward into a wry grin. “That’s sort of how soulmates work, Addie. You’re good for Wyatt and he’s good for you. Perfect, even. Soulbonds are...good, from what I’ve heard. Powerful.” 

Addison moves to lean beside Willa. “He’s not here.” 

“He’s patrolling,” Willa says, frowning. 

“I can still feel him in my head,” Addison mumbles, “like he’s standing right next to me.” 

“You’re connected. Unified.’ Willa smirks again. “The more soulbonded wolves we have, the stronger we are, Addison. The strongest packs-”

“Are the packs that stick together,” Addison finishes with a grin. “You taught me that.” 

Willa’s grin is every bit as bright as the moon. “Glad you’re learning something.” 

“Of course I am!” Addison grins. “You’re a good teacher, Willa, and a great alpha.” She winces. “Well, not  _ the  _ great alpha, obviously-”

“For a cheerleader, you’re pretty bad at cheerleading,” Willa snarks back, “missing your pom poms?” 

It’s a low blow, one that rocks at Addison’s core and sends tears stinging at the corners of her eyes. “Yeah, I am.” she whispers. “I’m missing a lot.” 

The mood shifts from sweet to sour in an instant. Addison hesitates before re-entering the den. “I’m gonna wait for Wyatt to come back,” she decides, scuffing her foot against the stony ground. “See you later?” 

Willa walks into the den without another word. 

Addison takes one look at the forest--vast and free and totally empty of angry alpha-werewolves--and darts inside, snags Willa’s wrist. “I’m sorry,” she says, and she doesn’t back down even as Willa whirls around with glowing gold eyes and her lips pulled back into a snarl. “I didn’t mean to say what I did. I’m sorry I’m replacing you.”  _ I’m sorry everything you’ve worked for is being taken away, I’m sorry I’m the one you have to train.  _ “I miss my old life already,” she murmurs, a single tear trickling down her cheek. “I won’t bring it up again.” 

None of this makes sense, she knows. It’s all so wild and emotions are running high. But Willa isn’t someone Addison’s willing to just write off- she  _ needs  _ Willa, needs someone to show her who the Great Alpha is supposed to be.

Willa’s all she’s got.

And she knows it. She knows it full well. 

“I’m sorry too,” the alpha amends, “I shouldn’t have snapped the way I did.” 

It’s going to take some getting used to- for all of them. 

Addison may be new to the whole wolf thing, but she knows when to back down from a fight. 

She slips out of the den-

-and bumps right into Wyatt. 

Her soulmate takes one look around and locks eyes with Willa, his lips pressing together as he stares back down at Addison. “What’s going on?” 

“It’s nothing,” Addison says at the same moment Willa blurts out the truth. “We had a fight...ish thing. We made up. It’s okay.” 

“Are you okay?” Wyatt asks, his gaze burning into her. 

Addison gives him her best cheerleader bright-watt smile. “I’m fine!”

It...does nothing to change the way he’s looking at her. “You know I can sense you’re lying, right?”

“No,” she whispers, her face flushing. The whole den’s gone quiet now. Everyone’s listening. Her heart is racing and her throat feels tight as she tries to speak. Her instincts burn in her chest. She escapes, her vision blurring as she dodges trees and fallen branches in an attempt to get away from prying eyes and Willa’s burning stare. 

“Addison,” Wyatt calls, “ _ Addison!”  _ His footsteps sound behind her. “Slow down- Addison!” 

“I’m sorry!’ She screams, slowing down. “I’m sorry. I’m not your perfect alpha, I’m a terrible soulmate and I’m a terrible friend. I’ve only been here for a few days and all I can think about is going home.” 

It’s too much, all of it’s too much and she’s letting everyone down and everything is so  _ heavy  _ on her mind and her heart and her chest that her heart is racing and it’s hard to breathe and the world is spinning and blurring, not just because of her tears but because she’s  _ lightheaded.  _ She stumbles onto the ground, falls so quickly that her palms burn. Wyatt stumbles down beside her, his own breathing quick, winded. 

Neither of them say anything for several seconds. 

“I’m sorry.” Wyatt’s hands are over his face. “I forget- I was born like this, so was Willa.  _ We  _ forget how overwhelming it can be for the ones who come to us as humans.” 

Addison takes a deep breath. Beside her, Wyatt does too. 

“Nobody’s asking you to be perfect,” he whispers, his voice shaky. “I’m not asking you to be perfect.” 

“Okay.” She doesn’t believe him. 

“This is all...new to me too,” he continues, “the bond thing, and you...existing. You’ve been a feeling in my head for years and you’ve been just a story for my whole life and it’s all-” he cuts off, growls. “It’s overwhelming for all of us is my point. Not that it makes it any better, I just…”

“My parents are probably freaking,” Addison says softly, “they wouldn’t let me leave. I had to sneak out. I didn’t even say goodbye.” 

“You’ll be able to see them again.” 

“I don’t know how to lead a pack, Wyatt.” 

“That’s why we’re teaching you.” 

“I don’t know...how to be your mate.” 

He snorts. “That’s just a word, Addison. It doesn’t have to mean anything if you don’t want it to.” 

Addison shakes her head. “It’s more than that- I can feel it. Our connection-”

“Is something that’ll make us stronger together. It’ll make the pack stronger. It  _ doesn’t have to mean anything.  _ If you want to go back to zombie-boy-”

“Zed,” Addison corrects automatically, even though she knows Wyatt knows his name. 

“-then that’s fine. You won’t hurt me.”  _ Much.  _ His lie tastes like licorice on her tongue, bitter and black and full of regret. 

She pokes him. “You’re lying.” 

Wyatt hisses in a deep breath. “I...like you a lot, Addison. I have, from the moment we met.” 

Her heart twists. “Wyatt…”

“I know, I know. You don’t like me back. That’s fine.” Another lie, but a softer one this time--smaller. A white lie. “I don’t know how these things are supposed to work. They don’t always end up in a relationship.” 

Addison raises an eyebrow. “But sometimes?” 

“It did for my parents,” Wyatt nods. “My dad was alpha before Willa,” he adds when Addison grunts in confusion. “‘ts one of the reasons Willa’s so protective over the title. She hates it when people act like she only got it because of our dad.” 

“She told me you fought for it,” Addison says. 

Wyatt snorts. “Wasn’t much of a fight.”

“She...also said you don’t like fighting.”

“She’s always been stronger than me anyway.” 

A beat. 

“You don’t have to make anything of the bond if you don’t want to,” Wyatt says. 

“I don’t  _ know  _ what I want yet,” Addison answers honestly. Wyatt’s surprise flares across their bond, so suddenly that she laughs. “I just...need time.” 

“Time I can give you.” Wyatt stands up, offers his hand to pull Addison up to her feet. “And for the record, I think you’re going to make a great alpha.” He grins. “Pun intended.”

“You’re the only one,” Addison mumbles, poking him in lieu of acknowledging the pun. 

Wyatt shrugs. “You’re going to have to prove it to everyone, Addie- even yourself. But I’ll always have your back.” 

“Thank you, Wyatt.” 

They stand there in silence for a moment, neither of them sure what to say next. 

Then Wyatt grins. “Race you back to the den?” 

“Oh, you’re  _ so  _ on!” Addison beams back, an exuberant howl bursting out of her as she charges forward, the path back to the den clear, Wyatt hot on her heels.

It isn’t perfect. Her new life has a lot of loose ends and a lot of rough edges, and there are still things to deal with, but for the first time in forever, she has what she’s always wanted-- a place where she belongs. Friends that understand her, get her, friends that are  _ like her.  _

She has a new home. 

She has a _pack._

~

~

_ I feel the vibe when you're close to me _

_ And you can feel it too, or hopefully _

_ Now look up, and tell me what you really see _

_ A bunch of stray wolves or a family? _

**Author's Note:**

> *coughs*  
> Yes, before anyone comments about it, part of the title is from the Zombies 2 song We Own the Night, but the lyrics at the end of this one-shot are from Call of the Wild, because...I couldn't resist. 
> 
> Kudos and leave a comment if you wanna see more!  
> <3 <3 <3


End file.
